A Surprise Visit
by TheBoodyJob
Summary: AU / "He was here to bury some old wounds, not to have a surprise visit from The First Avatar !" Follow Aang's journey after he defeated Firelord Ozai as he finally meets someone who would rid him of all his struggles and suffers and guide him to the right path.


**Aang POV**

The silence in the southern air temple was eerie.

He only came back here once, but then he had Sokka and Katara by his side, Now he only has Appa and Momo, he wanted this brief period of time to himself, he wanted to face his fears, after all that's what The Guru taught him at the eastern airtemple, the only way to get rid of fear is to face it head on, The only fear that faced him now, was the fear of guilt.

Even though he kept showing everyone that he beat it, he still hadn't forgiven himself completely for what happened here years ago.. The moment Firelord Sozin attacked the air temples, and he wasn't there for some childish mistake, when he first came here, he wanted nothing more than to turn back the time, get back to his old masters and die with them, maybe then he would have prevented the massacre from happening.. had he just revealed himself to Firelord Sozin, and whether he stood for himself and stopped Sozin by some miracle or had Sozin killed him, at least Sozin would have spared the rest of his people's lives, he would have had the avatar, what would he possibly want more than that ?

The thoughts kept coming back to Aang all of a sudden, all those thoughts that kept coming to his mind throughout his journey ever since Katara and Sokka broke him free of that Iceberg.. If only he had listened.. If only he had the courage to face his fears.. If only he had stayed at the temple.. All those thoughts that made his life miserable for the past year, even though he never showed it, But now it was all over..

He just defeated Firelord Ozai after an epic battle in Wulong Forest, he faced the ultimate enemy, he brought peace and balance to the world, and he saved The Earth Kingdom from meeting the same fate as his people, but was it enough.. ?

After he met with Sokka, Toph and Suki at Wulong forest after his battle with Ozai, they took the only remaining Airship from Ozai's fleet and flew with it to The Firenation taking the fallen Non-bender Firelord with them..

_Non-bender Firelord, Still feels strange to think of it.._ Aang pondered with an amused smile, Maybe Sokka was right after all to call him The Loser Lord, that's what happens when you want everything, you end up with nothing.

When they arrived at The Firenation Capital, they were met by hugs from Katara and The Proud smile from The New Leader of The Firenation, Firelord Zuko..

Aang found it difficult to believe that Zuko is a production from that vile man he just faced at Wulong Forest, but then again, Zuko's uncle is Master Iroh, the man who gave him Love wisdom without even knowing him, And Zuko kept mentioning that his mother was one of the kindest women in the world, His life was so complicated as i'm sure everyone would agree, but in the end he made the right choice..

_I wish i could say the same for myself._ Aang thought bitterly as Appa landed at the top of the mountain, in front of the temple, He passed by the Airball field, remembered with a Nostalgic smile the last time he was here when he beat Sokka at Airball, he wasn't sure if he should call this Nostalgia though, it was just ten months ago, but it felt like 10 years..

_I wish i had enough sleep before i came here._ He thought tiredly as he walked clumsily through the temple leaving Appa and Momo to take their flight above the temple..

After he arrived at The Firenation, he never even asked for a top to replace the attire that Firelord Ozai burned, All he asked for was a bed to sleep on, and thankfully Zuko provided him with that, but as the sun rose up, he took Appa and Momo while everyone was still asleep and flew to the temple, it took him a day's journey to reach the temple from The Firenation, he had a couple of hours of sleep on Appa, but they were brief as well,

_Why do i even bother ? How would this visit do me any good ?_ He thought bitterly once again as he kept walking but something he saw stopped both the walking and the thinking at once..

He was now standing in front of the statue of his mentor Monk Gyatso, Aang stared at the statue as if it was a long lost relic, which indeed at was to him, The statue of the monk never looked more prestigious, never looked more marvelous, never looked more... Terrifying.

_I did it.. For you and for the rest of our people, but why does it still feel like nothing.. ?_ Aang thought still staring at the elder monk's statue, he missed him so much, he felt the need for his comfort, for his mentoring, he felt the need for his presence, Katara might have been his anchor this past year, but she still never figured him out completely, not the way he did, He would have understood what hurts Aang, He would have understood what makes me feel bitter and what doesn't.. While Katara just goes on about me murdering a human being.. Not that Aang blamed her for certain, even his past lives urged him to kill the vile creature, he supposed he just expected more of Katara, The kind of More that The Elder monk would have had the ability of providing..

After all these thoughts, after all this clinging to the past, Aang finally remembered the reason for his flight to the temple in the first place.. To let go of the past.

So after a long staring contest with the elder monk's statue, he finally shut his eyes and opened them again with determination, and he made his way to the door to the sanctuary of statues, The statues of past avatars, Ironic how ever since he knew he was the avatar, he couldn't wait to know who Monk Gyatso wanted him to meet inside, but now.. He wasn't sure if he even wanted to go there, but he did nonetheless, He stood in front of the door, took a deep breath, and shot two blasts of air inside each hole and the trick has done its magic again, he always loved to do that..

the door has opened, and there they were, all of them standing with grim faces of stone and posing with each of their nations' signs, he wondered what his statue would look like, he would probably provide the visitors with something to see, maybe an astonishing pose,

_Oh, the marble trick would make people lose their minds.._ He thought with amusement as he walked past each statue, the last time he was here, he had taken notes on the statue of Roku, but now he was starting to recognize the rest of them, _Air, Water, Earth And Fire.. Air, Water, Earth And Fire.._ He kept citing as he passed, marking each Avatar with his nation, until he reached the four he actually knows and he cited their names and nations audibly..

"Air, Yangchen.. Water, Kuruk.. Earth, Kyoshi.. Woah, she's tall.. And Lastly Fire, Roku.." He made a stop in front of the statue of the fire avatar,

_His eyes are still twinkling.._ Aang thought as he look deep in the eyes of the statue of the former Avatar, and the staring contest with the past avatar provoked some inner thoughts he tried to avoid.. what's it that he feels inside right now, he wondered..? Triumph ? Nope, the last time he felt that was when his friends stared marveling at his talent when he created the airball back at the airtemple.. Was it guilt ? No, he got rid of it when the old guru showed him the meaning of Love and unlocked his chakra back at the eastern airtemple.. Dissatisfaction, Yes, that's the one..

_I just saved the world for spirits' sake and i still don't feel good, if that isn't Dissatisfaction, i don't know what is.._ Aang mused silently still staring at the old Avatar's statue..

"Have you ever considered that it might be fear you're feeling ?" Aang whirled around, his heart hammering from the sudden voice that just spoke..

"Who is there ?" He mouthed fearfully assuming a fighting stance, not realizing that the person who spoke answered a question he asked in his mind, how could that be an intruder ? He heard a soft laugh escape the mouth of the speaker, "Why would you look around for me when i'm in front of you ?" Aang looked in front of him, only to find the statue of Avatar Roku, and it was still as a stone should be, and the voice that spoke wasn't Roku's voice so he knew it wasn't some trick played by the former avatar, Not that Aang has ever noticed him a 'tricking' mood, he's always been serious and humorless, at least in his later years..

"I can't see you.. Can you be less mysterious ?" Aang said impatiently.

"It seems rather odd that this is the same guy who ended the reign of a ruthless monarch two days ago, Have some patience, young avatar and look closer.." The man said mockingly with a tone that unnerved Aang, but his pounding heart blinded him from thinking clearly, So he kept looking for the intruder, but to no avail..

"Right Here." Aang shrieked, turned back sharply to the voice with a punch of air at the ready and launched it at the man who was standing behind him, only for the shot to miss him completely even though Aang was certain the shot went straight at him..

_What is he ?_ Aang thought as he kept looking at the man who was now waving at him with a smile.

"Who are you ?" Aang asked him, making the other man in a light red sleeveless attire, he had long flowing black hair and a goatee marking his chin and golden eyes.

The man had a huge smile on his face when he said.. "I'm You."

Aang stared blankly at the man, not sure whether to be persuaded that this man was a past avatar or not, but he just lunged a shot of air at him and it went through his body to the other side, if that wasn't proof enough, Aang didn't know what is.

"So, you're a past avatar, Just like Roku ?" Aang asked still having his doubts.

"It wasn't called that when i started it but.. Yes, I guess i am." The man responded with a wider smile as he seemed to take pleasure in Aang's shocked face and his eyes who went as wide as large plates.

"St-Started it ?" Aang asked doubtfully, but somehow his mind urged him to believe it.

"Yes, My name is Wan, and i'm the first Avatar." The man responded with yet another smile, Aang's heart was pounding like mad, this wasn't supposed to happen.. He was here to bury some old wounds, not to have a surprise visit from The First Avatar !

"H-how's that even possible.. h-how can my connection go as far as the first avatar ? th-this isn't real." Aang replied his voice going fainter by each word, he shook his head violently to clear his mind, _this is all a dream.. I'm sure of it._ Before he had a chance to finish the thought, the man responded to him.

"This isn't a dream, i assure you.." Aang turned his head to look at the man who just read his thoughts.. "As for your connection, well.. You don't know what reconnecting with the avatar state can do to an avatar, it makes his connection stronger, but you are right.. No one has ever reached me in Raava's line of Avatars for a long time, but you did because your connection with the spirits is stronger than any of them." The man responded and Aang kept looking at him as if he's seen a ghost..

_well, strictly speaking he is a ghost, they all are, but i've never considered my past lives ones,_ he thought but suddenly another thought occured in his mind, a name the man just uttered.

"Who's Raava ?" Aang inquired keeping his breathing steady for the moment.

"Raava is the spirit of light, in the ancient days before the avatar there were two spirits fighting and whoever had the firmer hand on the fight had the firmer hand on the world, One was the light spirit Raava, the other was the dark spirit Vattu, Raava had kept Vattu in check for a very long time until i came around.."

Avatar Wan went on and on about his story, how he helped Vattu escape Raava's grasp, how he convinced Raava to give him the ability of the four elements to take on Vattu in a battle that would later determine the fate of the world during Harmonic Convergence, he went on and on for more than an hour inside the temple as Aang finally rested his leg and sat on the temple floor with the first avatar doing the same as he cited every step of his journey, every important detail, And Aang listened to every word he said, marveling at some events, feeling sad at another and feeling angry at another.. They kept at it until Avatar Wan was finally done of the story and Aang felt the satisfaction of a good story.

"But wait.. If the main purpose of your merge with Raava was to keep the peace ? How come she never saved your life before keeping it ?" Aang inquired confusedly, and Wan gave a soft laugh at Aang's question.

"I might have been the most powerful being in the universe but even I couldn't do everything on my own and neither can Raava, Young Airbender.. This is the main reason you called me for." The first avatar responded and Aang gave yet another confused look.

"I called you ?" Aang asked with a puzzled look.

"Why, of course, Young Avatar.. When an avatar is in pain, his inner spirit silently asks for help from his previous lives, And your inner spirit is stronger than any of the other that the call has reached me, So i decided to come by myself and give you the wisdom myself, young airbender.. Your beloved master is dead, but your friends are still there, they love you and would do anything for you, Especially that waterbender of yours.. Her feelings for you are so powerful that even i felt it.."

The First avatar said with a laugh and Aang's cheeks reddened at his assessment, averting his eyes from the Avatar, before the first avatar finally stopped laughing and continued..

"Your old life is No more, Aang.. But your new one still awaits you, don't cry over spilled milk and start over, if not for you, then for your friends who would be lost without you, what would poor Appa and Momo do if they lost you ?" The Avatar asked, and Aang responded with a sad smile.

"I tried as many times as i can, but i just couldn't, my feelings for them were too powerful, especially Gyatso, feeling that he died because of me... it makes me..." Aang trailed off, the dark memories were too powerful for him to recall.

"It's in the past.. All of it, your people would even feel sorry for themselves if they knew that one of their own brought peace and balance to the world, What happened to you was a tricky way of the spirits to keep the world in check, had it gone another way, the whole world would have burned.. Would you have preferred that ?"

"No." Aang replied without a moment of doubt, of course he wouldn't want that, that's what he's been telling himself ever since he saved the earth kingdom from the firelord's fire, that was one of the reasons he was still going..

"This is the new life the spirits chose for you, Aang.. i'm not saying you should forget your old life, but you give more focus to your new one, The fight between Raava and Vattu was essential to the world, one cannot have existed without the other, they balanced each other, until i came and helped Raava maintain the upper hand, same goes with your old and new life.. They need your guidance .. they need you to balance them, don't just focus on the past, focus on the present and future, And the present and future cannot be maintained with you weeping here in a barren temple, it can only be maintained when you go out there to your friends and together you will maintain the peace you started.. That's the only way you can make your people proud, that's the only way you can give the past a break and give your new life a chance, Give Katara, Sokka, Toph and Zuko a chance.. Give yourself a chance." Wan finished with Aang listening to his every word looking at the ground, and his eyes brimming with tears..

he never noticed how his actions affected his friends, he never asked, because Wan was right, he never gave his new life much attention, maybe his crush for Katara made him most attached to this new world, but what about the others ? What about the world itself ? That's what Avatar Yangchen meant by the avatar can never detach himself from the world.. Because his sole duty is to the world, She said..

He couldn't do it, he couldn't just think of a better world than the one he left, but now he can, The new world is his place now, and somehow he has to detach himself from the old one, and attach himself to the new one, because that's the right thing to do, Aang let some tears fall freely from his eyes as he kept staring at the ground completely ignoring the stare pointed at him from the first avatar, finally he cleared his throat, wiped his tears away and looked at the first avatar..

"What was the call exactly ?" Aang asked Wan who had a confused look on his face.

"Hm ?" Wan inquired not sure what Aang meant.

"What did my spirit say when it called you ? You seem to know a lot about my problems, what did it say to provide you with such information ?" Aang asked yet again still looking at the first avatar who regarded him with a smile.

"Your spirit didn't provide me with anything, it just said you are in pain, and i surmised the rest, It's not that hard to figure out if i were a living being i wouldn't have thought of coming to a barren place like this unless it's for mourning." Wan replied making Aang smile back.

"You're right, this place needs new decorations.. and new people." Aang said, The first avatar's smile widened at Aang's new spirit.

"Finally, you decided to adapt to the new world ? I mean your old world wasn't so bad.. You can still stay in it, think again." The first avatar said with a devious smile, making Aang chuckle a bit.

"You're trying to test me, right ?" Aang said pointing at the first avatar who raised his hands defensively with the same smile on his face, but before he could utter a word, Aang continued.. "Don't worry, Avatar. I mean it, You are right, Somehow along the way i forgot that the new world is intertwined with my new life, While the past one wasn't.. So the one i need living for now is the new world, not the past one." Aang replied favoring the first avatar with his trademark grin

"Ah, i missed that smile of yours, It suits you perfectly." Aang blushed at the avatar's remark making Wan chuckle, so Aang finally straightened up looking at the first avatar with appreciation in his eyes.

"Thank you, Avatar Wan, for everything, it was a visit i never expected, but one i truly needed." Aang told the avatar who returned his smile.

"No thanks needed, Aang.. that's what we're here for, Now, fly to your friends and don't come back unless you have new decoration plans for this place and the other temples as well, these decorations are making me sick." Wan said with a disgusted face making Aang laugh loudly.

"Yeah, Sure, Avatar Wan, i'll make sure to tell the new leaders of the world about it. " Aang replied still chuckling a bit while making his way to the door, waving at the avatar behind him who waved back and then vanished..

Aang closed the door to the sanctuary behind him and took a gasp of air, That was interesting.. He thought with an amused smile, he came here seeking something and ended up having another entirely.. Not that he minded, for the thing he never sought was more.. Refreshing.

He called for Appa with the whistle, and decided it was time to leave this place behind, he realized it was past midday and it would be at the same time when he reaches The Firenation the next day, hopefully he gets to make it to Zuko's coronation the next day.. But before he jumped on Appa he stood in front of Gyatso's statue,

_You would have given the new world the wisdom it needs, old man.._ Aang thought with a sad smile, finally his eyes settled on the rocky beads around Gyatso's statue's rocky neck.. His necklace.. ?

_Gyatso posed for the statue with my necklace ?_ Aang thought shock overtaking his face, then tears fell for the second time within an hour, when he did turn into such a cry baby ? He would never know, but it felt good to cry over such things.. Suddenly, a thought came to his mind that both astonished and terrified him at the same time.. Maybe he can leave his past life behind, but it doesn't mean he can't take some tokens..

"Appa, Stay here, i will be back in minutes." The giant bison growled and Aang left him on the spot, He decided to take the necklace he made for Gyatso from his skeleton's neck.. So he made his way to the tent where the skeletons of Monk Gyatso and the dead firebenders around him lie.. He entered the tent and something caught in his throat, he held his throat with both hands as his breakfast came boiling up and was trying finding a way out of his stomach and out of his mouth, but he held it in its place and kept going..

There's no time to go back it was now or never, He snatched the necklace free from the old master's neck, gave his skeleton a last look and then turned around and ran out of the tent, his eyes were brimming with tears once again but he blinked them away, he looked at the beaded necklace in his hands and put it in his pocket in the clothes he found on his bed at the firenation, he assumed Zuko left the clothes there..

He made his way back to Appa.. "I had to have something to remind me of him, i can't allow myself to forget him as i grow older, bud." Aang said to the giant bison who growled sadly at the airbender.. "Don't worry, he'll always be in our hearts." Aang replied with a smile to his bison, jumped on top of his head and uttered the words "Yip Yip.", Appa took off and headed to The Firenation With Momo flying in toe.

_I can't forget the old world, but the new world is what needs me, and i can't let down anyone who needs me._ Aang thought as Appa gave a loud growl on their way back to The Firenation.


End file.
